I don't know how long the events of Begins go on, but between Begins and Dark Knight 6 months pass. Between Dark Knight and TDKR, 8 years pass, but it's mentioned that Wayne has only been reclusive for 3. The last "reported" sighting of Batman was 8 years prior, but I don't think they ever specify that sighting was Dark Knight's finale.

At any rate, considering how Batman operates in the shadows, it's perfectly legitimate to say that he had only been retired for three years as of TDKR. There just weren't any city-destroying master villains in between that time.

So I'll throw out 6 years or so.

It's not really legitimate to say Batman was only gone for three years between TDK and TDKR because there are certain ideas heard in TDKR that suggest Batman was gone for way longer than three, it was only Bruce Wayne that became a recluse when he had to shut the energy project down. Besides, if Bruce only retired as Batman only three years before TDKR, then the audience would have literally no reasoning of what happened to his leg unless you think it took five years for his leg to slowly get that bad. I still don't believe Batman "quit" that very same night in TDK, but I do think he did end up "quitting" and retiring from the cape and cowl pretty close to that night.

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Originally Posted by shauner111

10 months pass between begins and tdk, there's proof. Even though some "official" books claim 3 years passed (but those have a ton of contradictions so 10 months it is).